Pokemon: Journey through Unova
by Hikarusoney
Summary: Sam's just starting out on his journey with his new partner Tepig. However, when he is attacked one day by a mysterious girl named Skylar, he realizez that the world is not as it seems. In the midst of fighting to be champion, he fights for his sanity.
1. Ch 1: Journey begins! New Partner Tepig!

"And the crowd cheers! Without losing a single pokemon, Sam wins the tournament!" The announcer cheered, Samuel Raven waving his hat to the crowd. He finally did it. He conquered the entire Unova region, his Serperior roaring loudly in triumph.

He was about to kiss the air when he heard a strange beeping, followed by a booming voice, "Sam! Time to wake up!"

Sam blinked as light flooded into his eyes, rubbing them tiredly as he let out a loud yawn. He sat up slowly before looking at the door to his room. Standing there was a blonde haired woman, one hand on her hip. She was wearing a white blouse with dark jeans, frowning at him. Her grey eyes were narrowed as she tossed a set of clothes at him, "I swear, even though you start your journey today, you aren't taking anything seriously."

Sam growled slightly as he grabbed the clothes, pulling on the white shirt and red jacket. He slipped the black hat over his blonde hair, sticking his tongue out at her, "Shut up Anne. Just because you already completed your journey, doesn't mean you get to order me around." His sister Anne just shrugged before walking out of the room, so he could change into his jeans.

Sam hopped downstairs once he was finished changing, grabbing his backpack from the upstairs hallway. Today was finally the day, the day he got his Snivy. He had decided a long time ago that Snivy was the Pokemon he was going to start with, ever since he had seen a Serperior in battle.

He waved goodbye to his sister before heading out the door, humming happily to himself. He ran down the dirt path to Professor Juniper's lab, bursting through the large doors as soon as he arrived, "I'm here for my Pokemon!" He yelled, all the lab assistant's looking at him wide eyed. He seemed like an insane kid to them. Professor Juniper turned to him, just laughing at his enthusiasm.

"Right on time Sam. Come over here, I have your choices ready for you.. However, Snivy was taken by another trainer this morning." This news made Sam groan with frustration. What Pokemon was he supposed to use now? Oshawott was too cute and Tepig seemed dopey. He had wanted Snivy for its intimidating presence and pride.

He walked over to the Poke-balls, rubbing his head. Guess the only other choice was Tepig. He took hold of the fire Pokemon's ball, throwing it up into the air. There was a loud popping noise followed by a blue light, and the small orange and black pig appeared on the ground in front of Sam.

"Pig!" It squealed in delight, blowing a cloud of red sparks out of its nose. Sam blinked at the Pokemon, slightly surprised by its power. "Maybe I made the right choice after all." He mumbled to himself, kneeling in front of Tepig. Tepig bounced around for a couple minutes before jumping into Sam's lap, rubbing its head against his chest happily.

"Seems like Tepig's really taken a shine to you." Professor Juniper said, handing Sam the standard equipment for a trainer, a Pokedex and five Poke-balls. Sam petted the small Pokemon's head softly, and he couldn't help but smile. Maybe Tepig would be a good partner after all. He tapped Tepig's Poke-ball against its head before it vanished in a red beam.

Sam bowed and thanked Professor Juniper before heading out the door, looking down at his new partner, "I can see us having a lot of fun together, my friend." He smiled before charging onto Route 1, tightening his hat around his head. However, as he charged into his new life, he was unaware of a red-headed girl watching him from a tall tree. Flying over the tree was an Archeops, the ancient Pokemon roaring for no particular reason.

"Looks like we found ourselves another target, boys." She said to her Pokemon, a Dewott standing on the ground behind a tree. "Dewott." It said in response, chomping down on an Oran berry.

-

"Tepig, use Flame Charge!" Sam roared, his Pokemon's body blazing with red and orange flames. It grunted in approval before sprinting at its target, a small mole like Pokemon with large sharp claws instead of fingers named Drilbur. The Pokemon had no idea what was about to hit it as Tepig rammed against it with all its force, knocking it into a tree. Drilbur yelped with surprise as it hit the ground, forcing itself back up and wobbling.

"Easy capture!" Sam yelled, throwing a Poke-ball at the Pokemon. Drilbur flinched when the Poke-ball hit it right on the head, disappearing inside in a beam of red light. Sam watched eagerly as the ball shook, clenching his hand into a tight fist. He was about to get his first capture.. DING. He jumped in happiness as he ran over to the Poke-ball, picking it up eagerly.

"I caught a Drilbur!" He shouted, holding the newly caught Pokemon high in the air. Tepig bounced up and down at the thought of having a new friend, shooting cloud after cloud of red dust from its nose.

"A great start to a great journey!" He announced, sprinting off further down the route. Two Pokemon already, and both were strong. He looked up at the sky, frowning to himself as it was turning a bright orange. "Almost the end of day one already huh? Guess I'll set up camp for the night.." After about twenty minutes of fumbling with his tent, starting a campfire, and cooking himself dinner, Sam settled in for his first night as a trainer. Life was going well for the rookie.

If only he knew how bad it was about to get.


	2. Ch 2:The Running of the Bouffalant!

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig and Drilbur.**

**Chapter Two: The running of the Bouffalant!**

Sam awoke the next morning to the sounds of Pidove chirping, bright sunlight flowing through the tree tops, illuminating them into a cover of red and gold. He felt his breath being taken away as he sat there, staring at the incredible sight. What a way to start a new day, he thought to himself. He spent another minute looking at the trees before standing up. He yawned, stretched his arms, and began to pack up his tent. The camp site still smelled of smoke from the previous night, the campfire having burned itself out except for a few smoldering logs. Sam blinked when he heard his stomach growl, laughing to himself. He hadn't eaten since leaving the day before, it wasn't surprising that he'd be hungry.

"I guess Tepig and Drilbur will want something to eat too." He said to himself, placing his backpack on the ground. He pulled out a large bag labeled Poke-Chow, along with two silver bowls. He began to pour the food into them, smiling. He really felt like he was on an adventure, not having to rely on anyone. Of course, his sister Anne had been the one to tell him to make sure he packed Pokemon food. He would never tell anyone that though. He tied the bag up and slipped it into his back pack, taking two Poke-balls off his belt.

"Time to chow down guys!" He yelled, his two Pokemon appearing in front of him in a bright blue light. Both Pokemon stretched themselves out, bright orange sparks bursting from Tepig's nose. He was really going to have to teach Tepig how to control its Ember attack. Tepig's ears instantly perked up as soon as it smelled the Pokemon food, bounding over to it. "Pig!" It oinked in happiness before digging into the food, its tail wagging happily in the air.

Drilbur, however, was not so impressed with the food. It walked over to the bowl, sniffing it before making a disgusted face. It smacked the bowl away with one of its claws, sending brown blocks of food every where. Drilbur then proceeded to cut the bowl in half with its Metal Claw attack. Sam's eyes widened at Drilbur's tantrum, the mole Pokemon sitting on the ground and grunting in disapproval.

"Hey Drilbur, what's your problem?" Sam yelled, glaring down at it. Drilbur looked up at Sam out of the corner of its eye before sneering, "Dril, drilbur!" It then turned its back on Sam before picking at the dirt with its claws. Was it trying to say it would rather eat dirt than Sam's Pokemon food? Sam sighed in frustration as he pulled out his Pokedex, scanning Drilbur. "Oh, so it likes to eat Pecha berries more than anything, huh? Should have figured as much.."

Sam sat down next to his back pack, rummaging through it. He grinned in triumph as he pulled out a small case with a Poke-ball design on the front. He pressed the button in the middle and the top popped open, different coloured blocks placed inside. His sister had taught Sam how to make Poke-blocks when she had come home from her journey in Hoenn, after becoming the Top Coordinator. He ran his fingers along top of the blocks before pulling out a green one, smiling as he held it out to Drilbur, "Here, try this."

Drilbur turned back to face him, sniffing at the block in his hands. Its eyes went wide before yanking it from him, wasting no time in eating it. Sam couldn't help but laugh as he watched his Pokemon eat, its metal claws hitting each other over and over. Drilbur waved in happiness, hugging Sam's leg affectionately, "Drilbur!" Sam laughed before petting its head, reaching into his backpack for some food of his own. He pulled out a can of soup, popping the lid off before starting to eat.

He watched the sky as he ate, Tepig and Drilbur laying on the ground and patting their bellies in content. Sam laughed as he watched a flock of Pidove fly from a tree, led by a Tranquill. All the birds were chirping and flapping in unison, the sun reflecting off their feathers, making them look silver in colour. Then something occurred to Sam. He hadn't had a proper battle with another trainer yet. He would have challenged his sister, but her Pokemon were all really powerful. He was planning on challenging the gyms, but he had no experience. He couldn't beat a Gym Leader with his level of skill. Sam needed to find someone to battle and fast.

He rubbed Tepig's head lovingly, smiling as his Pokemon nuzzled his hand in return. He returned his two Pokemon to their Poke-balls, standing up again. He placed the balls back on his belt and began down the Route once again. He spent a few hours walking, looking around at all the wild Pokemon, but nothing really stood out to him. They were all Lillipup's or Patrat's, and neither seemed like they'd be much use to him down the road. After checking the map Anne had given him, he knew he was only about ten minutes from Accumula Town.

Sam was about to give up on having his first real battle when he felt something strange, almost like the ground was shaking. He could hear a girl screaming, turning to face the sound. His eyes went wide as he saw a brown haired girl with green eyes sprinting straight at him, a huge dust cloud behind her. It took him a second to realize it before his heart jumped into his throat. There was an entire herd of enraged Bouffalant sprinting after her, their horns looking as sharp and dangerous as a batch of swords. He backed up a few steps before turning and sprinting in the opposite direction, "Whoaaaaaa!"

The girl caught up to him easily, running along side him. She looked like she had been running for a while, her hair stuck to her pale forehead. It was a good thing she was wearing such sporty clothes, if she had been wearing a sweater and jeans in this weather, she would have collapsed a long time ago. In fact, Sam had to admit, she was pretty cute. Then he remembered the angry herd of Bouffalant following them, and he instantly started with the accusations.

"What the hell did you do?" He yelled, his voice drowned out by the thundering of hooves. The girl sprinted harder, grabbing at one of the Poke-balls on her messenger bag strap.

"I didn't mean to! I tripped into one of their food piles, and they all went berserk!"

"What were you doing in one of their herds?"

"I dropped my make up case!"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? YOU'D GET YOURSELF KILLED FOR THAT?"

"Of course! That make up case is my life!"

"Well, I really hope it's worth dying over!" He yelled, panting hard as he tried to keep running. If those Bouffalant caught up to them, they were going to be trampled and most likely killed! He wanted to battle, but there was no chance Tepig or Drilbur could beat an entire herd of Bouffalant.

"Don't you have any Pokemon that could help us?" Sam yelled, the girl nodding in response as she turned on one heel, jumping up into the air. "Center stage, Lilligant!" She yelled, a large plantlike Pokemon bursting out of the Poke-ball. "Aromatherapy!" She yelled, Lilligant spinning in the air from the rotation of the Poke-ball, spraying a bright green cloud of dust over the Bouffalant. They all began to slow down as the dust covered them, the sun making the dust glow like a million stars, Sam's eyes going wide. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, and he was completely entranced by the performance. If there were contests in Unova, this girl would definitely take top prize.

The Bouffalant all looked at each other before turning away from the two, walking off. All except for one. One Bouffalant stood its ground, glaring at the two teens. Granted, even though it was only one, it still seemed incredibly intimidating. But maybe this was the challenge Sam had been looking for.

"I'm going to battle it." He said to the girl, her jaw dropping in response.

"What? Are you insane? Can't you see its horns? There are three rings on them, so this one is the leader of its herd!"

"That just means this is going to be alot more fun! Tepig, time for a battle!" Sam yelled, the pig Pokemon appearing in front of him. "Pig, Tepig!" It yelled, a huge cloud of flames shooting from its nose. "See? Tepig's all fired up!" Sam said, a grin appearing on his face. The girl just shook her head, laughing at him.

"I guess nothing I say is going to stop you. So, good luck. And my name's Rachel, by the way." She said, smiling sweetly at him. Sam nodded in response, smiling back, "Samuel, but call me Sam."

Bouffalant snorted, digging its hooves into the ground. Its body seemed to spark a bright yellow before its head suddenly exploded with electricity, sprinting at Tepig full force. Tepig grunted before standing its ground, spewing cloud after cloud of red sparks. "Tepig, use Ember!" Sam yelled, his Pokemon jumping up in the air. Tepig took in a deep breath before spewing a wave of red sparks at Bouffalant, the larger Pokemon breaking through it with almost no effort. Tepig squealed in pain as Bouffalant rammed into it, sending Sam's Pokemon flying a good twenty feet before connecting with a tree.

"So it knows Wild Charge huh? Alright, Tepig use flame charge!" Tepig grunted before its body burst into flames, ramming its head against Bouffalant's chest. Bouffalant snarled in pain as Tepig pushed it back, some of its hair smoldering. Bouffalant growled before a circle of large stones appeared around it, shooting them straight at Tepig. "Tepig, dodge it! Then spin and use Ember, just like Lilligant!" Tepig ducked and jumped around the stones before launching itself into the air, spinning over and over. It spewed a continuous stream of red sparks, forming a tornado of heat. Bouffalant winced under the constant rain of sparks, falling to one knee by the time it was finally over.

"Now, Poke-ball!" Sam yelled, whipping one of the red and white balls at Bouffalant. The ball hit it on the top of its head before it disappeared in a red beam, the Poke-ball landing on the ground. Sam watched nervously as the ball shook before making a DING. Sam smiled widely as he ran over to his newly caught Pokemon, picking it up. "Sweet, I caught a Bouffalant!" He screamed in triumph, Rachel watching him with wide eyes. He was good, really good. And he was only a rookie trainer? She had trouble believing it.

Sam was bouncing happily before walking over to Tepig, petting the top of its head. "You were amazing Tepig! I had no idea you were so strong!" Tepig oinked in happiness, waving its tail, "Pig, Tepig!" Rachel smiled as she watched the two, looking at one of her own Poke-balls. If only she and Servine were that close.

"Hey, Sam? Do you mind if I stick with you for a while?" She asked, Sam blinking. Was she asking to travel with him? He stood up slowly, looking over at her. "You sure you wanna travel with me?" He asked, and Rachel raised an eyebrow at his surprise, folding her arms, "Is it that hard to believe I would want to? You're strong, plus you'd stop me from getting hurt." She answered, smirking. She knew he'd have to say yes if it meant keeping an innocent girl safe.

"Well, if you're sure you want to, then sure! Travelling's always more fun with friends." Sam replied, a warm smile on his face. Rachel blushed at how easily he had trusted her, grinning at him. "Alright then, off to Accumula Town!" 

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><p><strong>AN: Was this chapter okay? I didn't know if I had to started to ramble or not. So, if you liked, review! If you have advice, review! If you have an idea for a chapter, review review review!  
><strong>


	3. Ch 3: Rival Appears! Enter Adam!

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig, Drilbur and Bouffalant**

Chapter 3: The Rivals Appear, enter Adam!

"Awesoooome!" Sam yelled as he took in the sheer size of Accumula Town, Rachel shaking her head tiredly next to him. The entire town was laced with huge buildings, including the Pokemon Center, which was the tallest building of them all. People were bustling through the town, the number of them overwhelming to Sam. He had never seen so many people in one place. He really was a country boy, he thought to himself.

"We should head to the Pokemon Center. I'm sure Tepig's tired after its battle with Bouffalant." Rachel said, brushing her hair behind her ear. Sam nodded in approval before running for the large red building, the automatic doors sliding open in front of him. His eyes went wide as he looked around the center, all the Pokemon inside making an incredible amount of noise. Sam yelped when one of his Poke-balls popped open, Bouffalant appearing next to him.

"Bouff!" It grunted, nudging Sam's side over and over. Sam raised an eyebrow at his new Pokemon before figuring out what it wanted. It could smell the food in his backpack. He couldn't help but laugh before pulling out the bag and a bowl, pouring Bouffalant its food. "Here you go, Bouff." Bouffalant happily dug in, grunting and snorting with content. Rachel's eyes were wide as she watched the huge Pokemon eat, Sam running a hand through its fur casually. How were they already this close? Less than two hours ago, Bouffalant completely hated Sam, he was even trying to kill him. But now it was like Bouffalant was his best friend. Was he one of.. Them?

Sam turned to Rachel when he noticed she was staring, tilting his head at her, "What's wrong?" He asked, Rachel blinking and waving her hands in front of her face. She said nothing was wrong then ran to the counter, placing four Pokeballs on the tray. So, she had three more Pokemon other than Lilligant. Sam couldn't help but wonder what they were as he sat down on one of the couches, watching Bouffalant eat. He was actually surprised Bouffalant had let him get so close, even so much as to pet him. In fact, all his Pokemon had let him close pretty quickly. Was it a personality trait? Or something else?

"Hey, kid. Could you move your beast out of the way?" Sam blinked when he heard someone talking, looking up to see a boy with sandy brown hair frowning at Bouffalant. Bouffalant looked at the boy before snorting, slamming its hooves against the ground. The boy smirked, looking over at Sam, "I think your cow wants to battle. Why not? Or are you too afraid to?" Sam glared at the boy before shooting up, getting in his face, "I'm not afraid! If Bouffalant wants to battle, then I'll battle too!"

"Not until Tepig has been healed." Rachel said, smacking Sam over the back of his head with her palm. Sam yelped in pain before grabbing at his head, mumbling, "Ow, ow, ow.." The boy laughed softly, shaking his head. "Pokemon with weak trainers will be weak. I feel bad for your Pokemon."

"What did you just say?" Sam snarled, clenching his hands into tight fists. Why was he letting this boy get on his nerves so much? Was it because he insulted his Pokemon? Or was it because Sam was insulted? If it was the latter, maybe he really was weak. Maybe he was just using Pokemon to make himself feel bigger. Stronger.

"Adam, your Fraxure is all healed!" Nurse Joy yelled, the boy turning to face her. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" He replied, walking up to the counter, "Oh, and would you be able to heal this kids Tepig? We want to have a battle, but without Tepig he doesn't have enough." Adam asked, pointing to Sam. Sam glared straight at him when he caught the little smirk on Adam's face. He was bragging. Adam probably had more than three Pokemon, and he was flaunting that over Sam. Sam stomped over to the desk before placing Tepig's Poke-ball on the counter. "Please hurry, Nurse Joy. I really want to battle him." Nurse Joy nodded in approval before taking the Poke-ball, walking into the back.

"So, do you really only have three Pokemon? What's the matter with you?" Adam sneered, Sam's hand clenching tighter. Rachel was watching the two argue and she couldn't help but laugh. They were almost like brothers, just poking fun at each other. However, Adam seemed to mean what he was saying. He thought that Sam was so far beneath him that he could say whatever he wanted. However, Adam had never actually seen Sam battle. Sam had handled Bouffalant incredibly well, considering what he was up against.

"I wouldn't under estimate Sam, Adam. He may only have become a trainer a couple days ago, but he's already shown the skills of a veteran." Rachel said, folding her arms smugly. However, even though she was trying to help, Adam just burst out laughing. "You've only been a trainer a few days? So you're a total newbie? Then there's no way you'll beat me!" He yelled, pulling his grey jacket open. Inside, pinned to the fabric, were two badges. Sam's eyes went wide when he saw the badges before his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Now I definitely want to battle you. If I can beat you, then the gyms should be no problem! So bring it on!" Sam yelled, Adam slightly taken back. He was used to intimidating his opponents before a battle, but Sam.. Everything he said made Sam more excited to battle. Adam had to admit, the idea of having a great battle for once was giving him tingles.

"Excuse me, Samuel? But your Tepig's completely healed and ready for battle." Nurse Joy said, Sam wasting no time in getting to the counter. He took tepig's Poke-ball, gripping it tightly. "Alright then Adam. Let's do this." Adam smirked in approval before walking out the front doors, heading to a makeshift field next to the Pokemon Center. Sam's heart was pounding in his chest as he took his side of the field, standing in the white box. He was about to have his very first battle against another trainer. Was he ready? Especially against one with two gym badges..

"Fraxure, battle stance!" Adam yelled, a dark grey Pokemon taking the food, two large intimidating tusks growing from its mouth. The Pokemon roared loudly, sending shockwaves of energy from its mouth, kicking up a cloud of dust and sand from the field. Sam had to cover his ears as Fraxure roared, closing one eye in pain. "That was my Fraxure's Hyper Voice attack. Its the only one of its kind who knows it."

"So you're using a dragon type Pokemon, huh? Alright, Bouffalant, get ready!" Sam yelled, Bouffalant taking the field, snorting with rage. Bouffalant roared loudly with frustration, the ground beginning to shake. Sam smirked, thinking about the moves Bouffalant knew. Bouffalant's moves were Stone Edge, Earthquake, Wild Charge and Headbutt. It was giving Fraxure a preview of its power, but Fraxure just dug into the ground with its tusks in response.

"Fraxure, start with Dragon Pulse!" Adam yelled, a large blue ball appearing in its open mouth. It shot the ball at Bouffalant, the Larger Pokemon standing its ground. "Bouffalant, stone edge!" Bouffalant snorted as two rings of jagged stones floated around it before launching them towards the Dragon Pulse. The two attacks connected in midair before exploding, covering the field with thick clouds of dust.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Wild Charge!" The clouds of dust were instantly thrown aside, the two Pokemon charging each other. Fraxure's tusk were glowing a reddish-blue colour, whereas Bouffalant's head was covered with electricity. The two rammed into each other, the contact between the two instantly causing an explosion. Sam bit his lip as he watched them, Boufallant stumbling backwards. He knew Wild Charge came with recoil damage, and the attack from Fraxure had done some serious damage already.

"Bouffalant, earthquake!"

"Fraxure, Draco Meteor!" Bouffalant began to glow a bright orange before the ground began to shake, chunks of it shooting out of the ground. Sam was slightly surprised at Bouffalant's power, but Fraxure responded with equal power. Frazure shot a large orange ball up into the sky before breaking into smaller, orange missiles. The missiles instantly locked in on Bouffalant before striking it over and over, Bouffalant howling with pain before the missiles detonated, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Bouffalant was thrown backwards, past Sam and into a tree, slumping to the ground. Its eyes were swirled, Fraxure snarling in triumph.

"You really think you can beat me, kid? Because I'm pretty sure Bouffalant was your strongest Pokemon." Adam smirked, Sam staring at Bouffalant in shock. His strongest Pokemon had lost, and easily too. He hadn't even be able to touch Fraxure..

There was no chance he was going to win this battle, and his Pokemon were going to get hurt because of him. He really was weak. 

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><p><strong>AN: AND cliffhanger! Are my battle scenes okay? Because I'm not sure if I'm doing them well enough. So, if you liked, review. If you have any suggestions, review. If you want to see yourself as a character, review, review, review!**


	4. Ch4: Utter Defeat! Sam's spirit broken!

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig, Drilbur and Bouffalant**

Chapter 4: Utter Defeat! Sam's spirit broken!

_Recap:_

"Bouffalant, earthquake!"

"Fraxure, Draco Meteor!" Bouffalant began to glow a bright orange before the ground began to shake, chunks of it shooting out of the ground. Sam was slightly surprised at Bouffalant's power, but Fraxure responded with equal power. Frazure shot a large orange ball up into the sky before breaking into smaller, orange missiles. The missiles instantly locked in on Bouffalant before striking it over and over, Bouffalant howling with pain before the missiles detonated, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Bouffalant was thrown backwards, past Sam and into a tree, slumping to the ground. Its eyes were swirled, Fraxure snarling in triumph.

_"You really think you can beat me, kid? Because I'm pretty sure Bouffalant was your strongest Pokemon." Adam smirked, Sam staring at Bouffalant in shock. His strongest Pokemon had lost, and easily too. He hadn't even be able to touch Fraxure.._

_There was no chance he was going to win this battle, and his Pokemon were going to get hurt because of him. He really was weak.  
><em>

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><p>"Bouffalant.." Sam whispered before closing his eyes, returning the large Pokemon to its Poke-ball, "You fought really well.. Take a good long rest." He placed his Poke-ball back on his belt, turning to face Adam again. The other boy was standing there, a smug smile on his face. What the hell? It was like he enjoyed seeing Sam's Pokemon in pain..<p>

"Fraxure, return." Adam said, his Pokemon vanishing in a beam of red light. "Now then, Pawniard, your turn!" He yelled, another Pokemon taking the field. This one was covered in sharp blades, its head shaped like a samurai helmet with a large blade on the top. Sam blinked at the Pokemon before pulling out his Poke-dex, reading its description.

**Pawniard, The Sharp Blade Pokemon: Blade's cover this Pokemon's entire body. If the blades are dulled by battle, it sharpens them on rocks by a river.**

Pawniard was a Dark Steel type, so Sam's best bet was to use Tepig. Its fire attacks should be able to beat Pawniard, but he had no idea how strong Pawniard really was. If it was anything like Fraxure, he was in for the fight of his life.

"Tepig, you're up!" Sam yelled, sending Tepig out in a wave of blue light. Tepig snorted with enthusiasm, flames coating the ground in front of it, "Pig, Tepig!" It oinked, staring Pawniard down. Pawniard returned the glare, scratching at the ground with its bladed hands.

"Pawniard, use faint attack!" Adam yelled, Pawniard flashing a dark blue before completely vanishing. Tepig's eyes widened as it tried to scan the area for Pawniard, but the samurai like Pokemon had vanished. Pawniard suddenly appeared next to Tepig, driving its elbow into the pig's side. Tepig squealed with pain as it bounced along the ground, skidding to a stop ten feet away. Pawniard smacked its blades against each other, sparks floating through the air. "Come on Tepig, get up!" Sam yelled, Tepig stuggling up to its feet.

"Pig.. Pig.." It wheezed, Pawniard crouching down low, tucking its head in. "Pawniard, use Head Smash!" Adam yelled, Pawniard's head glowing a bright blue. It launched itself at Tepig at a blinding speed, almost vanishing. Tepig jumped to the side right as Pawniard got close, the blue energy barely scratching its leg. Tepig winced with pain as it landed on the ground, wheezing harder and harder.

"Tepig, Flame Charge!" Sam yelled, Tepig coating itself with flames and sprinting at Pawniard. It headbutted Pawniard in the back before it had a chance to steady itself, carrying it on its head until hitting a tree, Pawniard grunting in pain before falling to one knee. Sam couldn't help but smile as he watched Tepig battle. Bouffalant may have powerful moves, but Tepig was definitely his most dependable partner.

Adam, on the other hand, was visibly angry. His hands were tight fists, his jaw clenched with frustration. What the hell was Pawniard doing? It wasn't supposed to take damage! It was supposed to win with no problems, just like Fraxure had! Maybe its new move would be able to help. But it still hadn't perfected it yet.. No matter. Taking down a newbie and his Tepig would be no problem.

"Pawniard, use Guillotine!" Adam yelled, Pawniard crossing its arms in front of its face. Its blades suddenly grew into long, blue swords, flashing with constant bursts of energy. Tepig flinched in fear at the sight of the attack, backing up nervously. Pawniard leaped towards Tepig, the swords creating a stream of light through the air. "Tepig, dodge it!" Sam yelled, but Tepig couldn't move. It was too scared to.

Sam was still screaming at Tepig to move when the attack connected, Tepig howling in pain as it was flung through the air. Sam watched in horror as his partner was sent clean through a tree trunk, falling on the ground with a deep thud. Tepig's eyes were swirled as the tree fell, but Sam didn't notice the wood hit the ground. Tepig was hurt, badly. One of its legs was bruising a dark black, it's face scrunched in pain.

"Tepig!" Sam yelled, sprinting over to his partner. He picked Tepig up in his arms, cradling it close to his body, "I'm so sorry Tepig! You wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly if I was a better trainer.." He whispered, Rachel watching with her hands over her mouth. She had never seen anyone so broken up over their Pokemon being hurt, hell, Sam was even crying.

And Adam started to laugh. He laughed and laughed and laughed. Sam's eyes went wide with anger as Adam laughed at him, handing Tepig over to Rachel. "Have Lilligant look after it.." He said, his voice and face completely cold. Rachel flinched slightly before nodding, taking Tepig into her arms. "Sure thing.." She said, placing Tepig on a bench. However, instead of sending out Lilligant, she sent out a large furry Pokemon with swirled ears.

"Audino, use heal bell.." She whispered, Audino placing its hands over Tepig's leg, its hands covered with a bright white light. Tepig's face twitched a little as its leg was healed, Sam turning his back on the two. He couldn't watch this. His Pokemon was hurt so bad and it was all his fault. He gripped the last Poke-ball on his belt before sending out Drilbur, tilting his hat so it covered his eyes.

Adam tilted his head at Sam before laughing hard, shaking his head. "Are you getting this depressed because your Pokemon lost? Are you that much of a wimp? Pokemon get hurt whenever they battle!" Sam didn't answer. He knew that Pokemon were injured during battles, he had seen plenty of battles where Pokemon had been injured really bad on TV, but actually seeing your own Pokemon get hurt.. It was so much worse. The pain was so intense, knowing that it was your fault for not being a good enough trainer, not being strong enough.

Adam smirked as he replaced Pawniard with his next Pokemon, a large three gear shaped Pokemon, all three gears spinning slowly. Sam held up the Poke-dex, scanning the Pokemon as soon as it was sent out.

**Klang, The Gear Pokemon: By changing the direction in which it rotates, it communicates with others. The faster its gears spin, the angrier it gets.**

"Drilbur, start this off with dig." Sam said, no emotion to his voice whatsoever. Drilbur looked back at Sam, a worried expression on its face before diving under the ground. Klang's eyes scanned the area before fixing in on a point in the ground, turning its whole body to face it.

"Klang, flash cannon!" Adam yelled, a huge silver ball forming in front of it before firing into the ground, Drilbur howling in pain as it was shot out of the dirt in a shower of rocks and dust. Drilbur bounced and slid along the ground, bruises already covering its entire body. Klang floated up in the air, as if it already knew Adam's next order. "Use metal sound!" Klang's wheels began spinning wildly, emitting shockwave after shockwave of ear splitting sounds. Drilbur and Sam both grabbed at their heads in pain, but the effect was much worse on Drilbur.

"Now, Gear Grind!" Klang suddenly shot for Drilbur, splitting apart for a second before catching Drilbur between its gears. Then they spun. And spun, and spun, and spun. Drilbur began smacking against Klang with its claws, Sam's ears still ringing from the Metal sound. "Drilbur, use rock slide to break free!" Sam yelled, Drilbur's body covered in a veil of blue light. Stones suddenly rained down from the sky, pounding Klang over and over. Klang held on under the constant rain of stone before finally giving up, pulling away from Drilbur. Drilbur fell to the ground, panting and wheezing hard as Klang made distance between the two of them.

"Good job, Drilbur!" Sam yelled, Drilbur sticking one of its claws up, almost like a thumbs up. Or something else, but Sam didn't wanna think about that. Adam smirked as he looked at Drilbur, the poor Pokemon barely able to stand. He was going to finish this in one big move. "Klang, use Hyper Beam!" Klang began charging up a bright, orange beam in the center of all its gears before firing at Drilbur. Drilbur barely shifted to the side before taking the full force of the attack, sending it backwards into the wall of the Pokemon center, bending the metal walls inward. Its eyes were swirled before it hit the dirt.

"Drilbur!" Sam yelled, running over to the mole. He crouched down in front of it, taking Drilbur into his arms. "You fought so hard, Drilbur. Thank you for your help.." Sam whispered. Adam returned his Klang into its Poke-ball before walking over to Sam, tucking his hands in his pockets. "I feel sorry for you Pokemon, having such a weakling for a trainer. Come talk to me once you turn into a challenge." He said, tossing a piece of paper onto Sam's back. He knew it was his X-transceiver number, but he couldn't look at the paper. He had been such a failure to his Pokemon..

"Sam..?" Rachel whispered, walking up behind him. She placed a hand on his back gently, kneeling down next to him. "It was your first real battle Sam.. You couldn't have known this was going to happen.." She whispered, and Sam broke. He fell against Rachel, her face turning red from embarrassment before wrapping her arms around him, letting him cry. "It's okay, Sam.. You'll get stronger, and become someone your Pokemon can be proud of.. Until then, you'll have to face disappointment and hard times.. But you will become stronger.. I know it. Until then.. You can cry as much as you want.."

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry if I keep asking about this, but I want to make sure I'm writing this story right. Was there anything you didn't like? Or anything I should change? If you liked, review! IF you have suggestions, review! If you want to see your self as a character, review, review, review!**


	5. Ch 5: The PokeHunter Appears!

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig, Drilbur, and Bouffalant**

**Rachel's Current Team: Lilligant, Audino, Servine and Seismitoad**

**Chapter 5: The Poke-Hunter Appears!**

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><p>"Tepig, ember, one more time!" Sam yelled, Tepig leaping into the air and sending a burst of flames from its nose. The flames sailed towards a set of targets, all of them covered with scorch marks around the outside of the bullseye. The flames hit on the very corner of each of the targets, leaving large burn marks. Tepig landed on the ground, panting hard from exhaustion. It had been a week since the battle with Adam, and Sam was intent on making all his Pokemon stronger.<p>

"Tepig will only learn flamethrower if it can hit all the bulls eyes." Rachel said, standing up. Her Servine was asleep next to her, the large grass type curled into an almost complete circle. Rachel was doing her best to teach Sam how to be a good trainer, but he wasn't good at training. He couldn't push his Pokemon hard enough, make them really work. He was too afraid of hurting them after the battle with Adam. It had taken almost a full week for Tepig's injuries to heal. The only way for Sam's Pokemon to get stronger was to have them learn new moves, or evolve, but Tepig and Drilbur weren't strong enough to yet. So, they had to learn something new.

"Don't try to hit all the targets at once. You have to get Tepig to focus its attack on one target, not rush through the training." She said, walking over to him. Sam looked over at her, nodding slowly. "I know that, but its hard to focus a cloud of flames onto one specific point." He replied, looking over at Tepig. Tepig was panting hard on the ground, its eyes narrowed and focused. Sam was surprised Tepig had been so quick to throw itself back into battling, after what happened with Pawniard. Tepig had been too terrified to move, but now it seemed like Tepig only wanted to battle.

"I don't think Flamethrower's going to work out. Tepig isn't meant for ranged moves." Sam said, Rachel raising an eyebrow at him. It was a standard for almost all fire types to know Flamethrower, so what could he be planning? How did he know what Tepig was best at, considering they had only actually battled another trainer once. Sam leaned down to Tepig and whispered something in its ear, Tepig nodding in response, turning towards a large solid oak tree.

"Alright Tepig, flame charge on that tree until you take it down!" Sam yelled, Tepig instantly coating itself in flames and ramming itself against the tree over and over. Rachel tilted her head at Sam, whispering to him, "What are you planning on having Tepig do?" Sam just smirked as he watched his Pokemon slam against the tree over and over. To anyone passing by this would seem cruel, until it became obvious.

Tepig jumped back from the tree, the flames around it exploding outside before turning a bright blue. Rachel's eyes went wide as Tepig headbutted the tree, splitting it clean in half. Tepig landed on the ground behind it, the flames disappearing as the tree hit the ground, blue sparks flashing across its body. "Flare Blitz..." Rachel whispered to herself, Sam grinning in victory. "Awesome job Tepig!" He yelled, running over to it. Tepig turned and oinked happily, jumping into Sam's arms.

"I never would have expected you to try and teach Tepig Flare Blitz. That's a good ace in the hole to have." Rachel said, Tepig wagging its tail happily, oinking. Sam smiled before returning his Tepig to its Pokeball, looking at his other two. "Tepig, Drilbur, Bouffalant, I'm never going to let you lose again. No matter what comes our way, we'll beat it." Rachel smiled as she watched him talk to his Pokemon, thinking back to when she was just starting out as a trainer. It had taken her a while to get her battle style just right, and she lost plenty of battles.

"Hey, Rachel? I wanna get to Striaton as soon as possible. I want to challenge the gym leader there." Sam said, Rachel chewing on her lip nervously. She wasn't sure if he was ready to battle the gym leader yet. Maybe she should have Sam catch another Pokemon before battling there. Rachel was about to say how she was feeling, but then she saw his eyes. They were practically on fire, he was so focused. Rachel felt her heart skip a bit before looking away, her face heating up. "F-fine.. Come on then." She mumbled, turning and walking on ahead of him. Sam opened his mouth to say something before closing it, following after her. After dealing with his sister for years, he had learned never to say what he really wanted to around girls.

After walking for about three hours, Sam could see Striaton city on the horizon. He had to admit, it was a beautiful city. Some of the buildings reached towards the sky, others just normal apartment buildings. Either way, it was an amazing sight. He had thought Accumula Town was huge, but it didn't even compare to Striaton. Rachel giggled at the look on Sam's face before heading into the city.

Sam was about to head towards the Pokemon center when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see his sister, Anne, watching them from an alley way. He tilted his head as she ran over to him, leaping into the air. He couldn't even gasp before she tackled him, both crashing to the ground in a heap. Rachel just blinked a couple times, staring at Sam. He had no idea it was his sister that had tackled him, and she couldn't help getting jealous. She pouted as Sam pushed Anne off of him, gasping, "Anne! What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled, Anne just giggling at him before standing and brushing herself off.

Sam watched as she ran off, waving for the two of them to follow. He looked over at Rachel, who just shrugged and began to follow Anne. Sam ran after the two of them, blinking when he saw Anne at the end of the alley. When did she get so fast? He took a step forward before something flew over him, something's foot slamming into the back of his head. Sam crashed to the floor, groaning in pain, and he could almost see stars. He looked up to see a Dewott standing in the middle of the alley, looking down at him.

"You don't know how long I've been tailing you, boy." He heard a voice say from behind him. He turned slowly to see a VERY well developed girl standing over him, wearing a black and silver dress. She had long, blonde hair that reached down her back, curling into 6 cone shapes at the end. Her icy blue eyes were narrowed, her pale hands on her hips. "That was a rough battle you went through, you know. Your Pokemon took a real beating." Sam bit his lip as she smirked, walking towards Anne. Sam's eyes went wide as the girl backhanded his sister, sending her crashing into a wall.

"What the hell was that?" Sam yelled, blinking when his sister was enveloped in a bright purple light. Once the light faded, instead of his sister, there was a small Fox-like Pokemon with a Mohawk in the center of its head, three black marks along its face. The girl smirked as she stood over the Pokemon, pulling a completely black Poke-ball from her belt. "Come on, Zorua. Time to come with Skylar." Zorua howled with pain when a black beam dragged it into the ball, the lid instantly clamping down. There wasn't even a ding, just the click of the ball closing.

"What are you doing with Zorua..?" Sam asked, forcing himself to his feet. Skylar didn't even have to move before her Dewott was behind Sam, two Razor Shell blades pressed to his neck. He froze as Skylar turned to him, a seductive smirk on her lips. She walked over to Sam, pressing one of her fingers against his lips, her body pressed against his. "You know something, Sammie? You're actually pretty cute.." She then slipped something into his pocket, whispering into his ear. "Call me." Sam shivered, Skylar's breath hot against his ear before she pulled away. He had no time to pull himself together before she was on top of her Archeops, waving to him, "Bye bye~!"

"Muddy water!" Rachel screamed, a wall of brown water crashing through the alley. Skylar screamed in fear as the water slammed into her and Archeops. Sam took a breath in before the water hit him, sweeping him off his feet. He was thrown around against the buildings before sliding along the asphalt. He looked up to see Skylar groaning on the ground, her Archeops knocked out cold.

Skylar shot to her feet, grabbing at another Poke-ball on her belt before sending out a muscly, blue Pokemon wearing a karate outfit. Skylar smirked as Rachel stepped out of the alley, a large blue toad Pokemon next to her. It was covered with strange pores all over its body, pounding its fists together. "You're going to give Zorua back, before Seismitoad and I teach you a lesson!" Rachel yelled, Skylar letting out a small chuckle. "Please. Like I'm ever going to fail a job. I'm going to get paid handsomely for this Zorua." Rachel's fist clenched tightly before Seismitoad stepped in front of her, crouching in a fighting stance.

"Sawk, close combat!"

"Seismitoad, drain punch!"

Sam felt so outclassed as the two Pokemon charged each other, their attacks colliding against each other, and he felt so powerless. All he could do was watch.

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><p><strong>AN: Hooray for getting an actual Plot going! If you like, review, if not, review, and if you have any suggestions, review review review!**


	6. Ch 6: Sam and Rachel vs Skylar!

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig, Drilbur, and Bouffalant**

**Rachel's Current Team: Lilligant, Audino, Servine and Seismitoad**

**Chapter 6: Rachel and Sam vs. Skylar!**

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><p>"Sawk, use brick break!" Skylar yelled, Sawk jumping into the air in a blur. Seismitoad barely had time to look up before Sawk's foot came down on its head, forcing the huge toad down onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Sam covered his eyes as dust flew out, instintively grabbing a Poke-ball on his belt. He had to get that Zorua back. If not, there was no telling what kind of person Skylar would sell it to. Maybe Tepig.. No, tepig would only be good for a frontal assault. Drilbur! He could use Drilbur to dig a tunnel and grab the Poke-ball from behind.<p>

He released Drilbur behind him, whispering for it to use Dig. Drilbur saluted at Sam before diving under the ground. Sam looked up to see Seismitoad firing a hydro pump at Sawk, the Karate Pokemon vanishing before appearing over Seismitoad, hitting it over and over with close combat. Skylar smirked before sending Dewott towards Sam, Sam yelping as its two shells turned into long blades.

"Bouffalant, counter with wild charge!" Sam yelled, pressing the button on Bouffalant's Poke-ball, the large Pokemon ramming its head into Dewott as soon as it materialized. Dewott howled with pain as the burst of electricity hit it, sending it crashing into the dirt. Meanwhile, Sawk was keeping Seismitoad pinned with punch after punch, the toad Pokemon obviously close to fainting.

"Dewott, use aqua jet! Sawk, giga impact!" Skylar ordered, Dewott covering itself with a torpedo of water before shooting towards Bouffalant. Sawk's body was covered with an orange ball of energy before crashing into Seismitoad. Seismitoad was flung back into a wall, breaking straight through it. Sam, on the other hand, ordered Bouffalant to counter with another wild charge, once again sending Dewott into the dirt. Bouffalant hissed in pain as yellow sparks rocked across its body, Sam biting his lip nervously. Bouffalant couldn't keep using Wild charge over and over, the recoil was starting to add up.

Meanwhile, Rachel had replaced Seismitoad with Servine, the grass Pokemon keeping Sawk pinned with constant Vine whips. Rachel's hands were curled into tight fists as she shouted at her Pokemon to keep up the assault. She hated people that took Pokemon against their will, and Skylar was selling them. She couldn't understand why someone would sell Pokemon, considering they were just as alive as any human was. But to some people, Pokemon were just animals. Animals that could be ordered to do whatever you wanted them to do.

"Sawk, use Revenge!" Skylar said, her face and voice confident. Sawk seemed to steam for a moment before punching Servine hard across the chest, sending it flying through the air. Servine crashed into a sign on a building about thirty feet away before falling to the ground, its eyes swirled. Sam was doing his best to keep Dewott at bay, but Bouffalant was getting tired, and the water Pokemon had begun unleashing a barrage of Razor Shell attacks. Bouffalant was being knocked back and forth, unable to get an attack in.

"Dewott, finish off that overgrown cow with Blizzard!" Skylar yelled, Dewott taking in a deep breath of air before firing it back out, the breath filled with snow and ice. Bouffalant was battered over and over by it, the gale force winds nearly knocking Sam off his feet and frosting the tips of his hair. The street began to freeze over, spreading onto the sides of buildings. Bouffalant dug its hooves into the ground before the blizzard blew it back into a wall, falling to the ground with its eyes swirled. Sam brushed the frost off his body before looking over at Bouffalant, returning it to its Poke-ball.

"Are you two even trying to win? I mean, there's only one of me and two of you, but you're still getting your asses kicked!" Skylar taunted, placing her hands on her hips. Sam had to admit, it was seeming like they were going to lose.. But she didn't know about Drilbur. By now, Drilbur should have been right under her feet, ready to break open the Poke-ball Zorua was in. "By the way, you think you're being sneaky, but I know you sent your Drilbur under the ground." She said, smirking as the earth beneath them began to rumble and crack. Sam jumped back as the ground burst open, a large red crocodile like Pokemon tackling Drilbur straight upwards. Drilbur flew backwards, Sam sprinting after it and jumping, catching it in his arms. He hit the ground hard, skidding and rolling before slapping against the wall, his eyes widening in pain. He bit down on his lip before hacking up blood, it dripping down his chin and onto the floor. Drilbur looked up at Sam with wide eyes, reaching up and touching his cheek.

"Sam, are you okay?" Rachel yelled, running over to him. Sam nodded slowly as he looked at the hulking red Pokemon, Skylar walking over to it and running a hand affectionately along its jaw. "Good boy, Krookodile." She cooed, the large Pokemon nuzzling her hand lovingly. Sam blinked at this before placing Drilbur on the ground, walking over to Skylar. She turned to face him, narrowing her eyes before whispering to Krookodile, "Krookodile, head straight around him and hit Drilbur with Brick Break." Krookodile snarled in approval before launching itself forward, raising its arm. Its hand began to glow before bringing it down towards Drilbur before freezing, standing in place.

"Krookodile, what are you doing?" Skylar yelled, running around it, her eyes widening at what she saw. Standing between Krookodile and Drilbur was Sam, Krookodile's hand hovering an inch from his face. His nose was bleeding from the air pressure caused by the Brick Break, his hat blown off into one of the trees. "I knew it. You couldn't attack a human, could you Krookodile?" Sam asked, reaching up to pet its jaw. It flinched slightly from instinct before leaning into his hand, growling happily. Skylar just stood there, staring at the two. How could he have befriended a Pokemon so fast? Especially one that had just attacked him.

"I noticed something about you, Skylar." Sam said, turning his attention from Krookodile to its master. She smirked before folding her arms, tilting her head at him. "Oh really? And what would that be?"

"You really love Pokemon, don't you?" He asked, Skylar instantly looking away, clenching her hands. Sam knew he had been right. During the entire battle, something had seemed wrong, almost like she didn't want to be here. And now he knew why. Someone that loved Pokemon couldn't possibly be harming them by choice, so she must be under someone's orders.

"I may love Pokemon, but that doesn't mean a damn thing. I'm still going to steal them, I'm still going to sell them. I need the money for something, and nothing is going to stop me. Nothing, especially not some random kid who thinks he's some kind of hero! Krookodile, send him flying!" She screamed, her voice breaking about half way through, tears coming to her eyes. Krookodile just stared at her before vanishing back into its Poke-ball, Skylar falling to her knees. "Why? Why don't any of you do as I say? Nothing good ever comes out of it!" She howled, tears pouring over.

Skylar was about to order another attack when she felt Sam's arms wrap around her, her face turning a bright red. "Wh-what the hell are you doing?" She squeaked, but she found herself hugging him back, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her as she rocked with a combination of crying and coughing, her fingers digging into the back of his shirt.

"I don't want to do this.. He has my precious friend.." She choked out, her tears pouring out harder than ever. Sam nodded slowly before whispering, "I know you don't want to hurt Pokemon.. Which is why I'm going to help you." Skylar felt her eyes widen before pulling out of the hug, looking into Sam's eyes. She wanted to call him a liar, but as soon as she saw those gray orbs, she couldn't. Anyone could see it in his eyes that he wasn't lying, that he really wanted to help her.

"Who has your friend?" He asked, Skylar wiping her face clean. She smiled softly at him before whispering, "His name is Reid. He runs a whole corporation based on stealing and selling Pokemon, and he stole one of mine. He took my Emolga from me, and now I can't get it back unless I pay for it."

"How could someone do that? Steal someone's Pokemon.."

"Hey, I've been doing it for years.. But I didn't steal that Zorua, someone just wanted to pay alot of money for it. But here." She said, placing the black Poke-ball on the ground, Zorua breaking free in a burst of white light. Zorua began to rub its head, snickering before walking over to Sam, looking straight up at him. Sam didn't have time to say anything before Zorua jumped up, pressing one of the Poke-ball's buttons and vanishing inside.

"I guess Zorua decided it wanted to join you since you saved it." Skylar whispered, Rachel walking up behind Sam. She placed a hand on his shoulder before turning him to face her. Rachel slapped a bandaid over his nose, along with one on his cheek that had begun to swell.

"You are so suicidal when it comes to Pokemon.." Rachel pouted, worry plastered all over her face. Sam couldn't help but blush at her expression, looking at the ground. "Y-yeah, I know.." He mumbled, his eyes widening as she stood on her tippy toes, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"But you are definitely the most courageous boy I have ever met."

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><p><strong>AN: I like putting in couples _ If you like either of them, you can vote for who you want together, Sam and Rachel or Sam and Skylar. But, in order to vote, you have to review! Review, review, review!**


	7. Ch 7: A day off! Rachel's new friend?

**Sam's Current Team: Tepig, Drilbur, Zorua and Bouffalant**

**Rachel's Current Team: Lilligant, Audino, Servine and Seismitoad**

**Chapter 7: A day off. A new friend for Rachel?**

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><p>"Tepig, use flame charge!" Sam ordered for at least the twentieth time that day, the small orange and black pig Pokemon's body blazing as it attacked a nearby Watchog. Sam was starting to get desperate. He and Rachel had already traveled through Striaton in search of leads, but had got nothing. He had even ignored the gym battle for this. It was bordering on obsessive.<p>

Rachel had noticed. Ever since the battle with Skylar, Sam had been a man on a mission. He couldn't stand the idea of someone stealing Pokemon from someone else. It had been close to three weeks and ever since then, it had been non-stop training. It was all for one reason, just to get his Pokemon to evolve. He had been working with Tepig the most..

So neither of them was surprised when the tiny Pokemon began to glow a bright white. Sam watched his partner Pokemon grow alot taller and heavier, standing on two feet instead of four. It stomped its feet down loudly against the ground like a Sumo wrestler, blue flames erupting from its entire body. It was using flare blitz without a target just to show off.

"Pignite!" Pignite roared, pounding its chest over and over with closed fists. Sam felt himself swell up with pride as he watched his new Pignite run towards a tree, smashing its open palms into the trunk. The tree shook a few times before falling over slowly, the crash echoing through out the forest. Sam quickly scanned his Pignite with his Pokedex, its tackle attack replaced with Arm thrust. It also knew Ember, Flame Charge and Flare Blitz. Sam had to admit, Pignite was a very powerful Pokemon. Maybe stronger than Bouffalant now.

"Congratulations Sam! Tepig finally evolved!" Rachel said, walking over to the blonde haired boy. She gave his hand a little squeeze, causing Sam's face to turn as red as a tomato. Even getting kissed on the cheek by Rachel had turned him into a walking pound of mush, so her touching his hand wasn't that much better. He was such a wuss.

"Thanks. It's been a long time coming." Sam smiled, patting Pignite's head affectionately. Pignite grunted with happiness in response, snorting red flames from its nose. Soon after, the gang decided to break for lunch, sending out all their Pokemon. Sam smiled at everyone's reaction to Tepig's new form, Drilbur frowning a little. It was obviously upset that it hadn't evolved yet. Zorua didn't seem to care, it just sat there and nibbled at its food. Bouffalant was just happy to have a new sparring partner.

Rachel smiled as she watched Sam speak with his Pokemon, rubbing their backs when they ate. Her own Pokemon ate and hung out with Sam's, Servine resting its head on Rachel's lap. She blinked a little when it laid down on her, eyes widening in surprise. Servine had never been this close to her before.. Was it because of how Sam was with his Pokemon?

Sam quickly began preparing some food for the two of them, slapping some jam between slices of bread. He pulled out two bottles of water from his bag, handing one and a sandwich to Rachel. She thanked him and started to eat, smiling at the taste in her mouth. It was the simple things that made her happy, and considering what a country boy Sam was, she was happy most of the time.

She had to admit it to herself, she liked him. A lot. Definitely more than a friend. That wasn't a good thing though. Getting feelings for someone while you were on a journey never turned out well, just because you eventually had to say good bye. She never wanted to say good bye to Sam. Never.

"Hey Rachel, you okay? You kinda spaced out." Sam asked, snapping the brown haired girl back to reality. She shook her head quickly and smiled, fighting the blush that was sure to creep up on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, no worries!" She grinned, turning away quickly so he couldn't keep asking her about it. Sam just shrugged and went back to eating and petting Bouffalant. For such a huge Pokemon, it loved getting attention.

Audino was hanging out close to some bushes, looking through them for something. Sam blinked over at it when something shot out from the bush, landing on the ground a few feet away from their camp site. Standing in front of them was a small Pokemon that seemed to be trying to hold up its pants, but they just kept falling down.

"Huh, a Scraggy.. I wonder what one's doing here?" Rachel asked, looking at the tiny Pokemon. It was barely two feet tall, looked completely innocent.. Yet angry. It shot towards the picnic mat, one hand glowing a bright white. Servine's eye snapped open and it spun, blocking the attack with its tail without missing a bit. Rachel didn't waste a second before sending her Servine on the offensive, knocking the Scraggy backwards with a leaf blade attack.

The Shedding Pokemon skidded on its feet before pulling to a stop, eyes narrowing at Servine. The grass snake Pokemon stepped out towards it, crouching low in a battle stance. Rachel smirked a little, standing up and taking her place behind Servine. After watching Sam train for three weeks, she had been itching for a proper battle. The scraggy jumped up and hung in the air for a second before shooting like a rocket towards Servine.

"Servine, use leaf tornado!" Rachel ordered, her Pokemon spinning in place and firing a swirling storm of leaves from its tail. Scraggy was hit over and over before being thrown into the air, Rachel quickly throwing a Pokeball at it. It smacked it between the eyes and opened up, the green pokemon vanishing inside. The red and white ball fell to the ground, shaking a few times before going DING!

Sam had to admit, he was impressed. And jealous. Rachel had caught that Scraggy so quickly.. How had she done it? He thought back to when he had caught Bouffalant, even though he had caught it pretty quickly, it had put up a huge fight. Rachel had caught her new Pokemon just like that.

"That was awesome Rachel! How did you get so good at battling?" Sam asked her, Zorua jumping up to take its now standard place on his shoulder. The little guy hated being inside a Pokeball, ever since Skylar had tried to capture it.

"I've been travelling a lot longer than you Sam. I've got more battle experience.. That and I've had Servine here almost all my life. We're as in sync as partners can be."

"Your whole life? I've only had Pignite for a month and a half.."

"You've got a lot of talent for battling, and with enough training, you'll beat me."

"I hope so."

"You okay? You seem kinda glum."

"Could you beat Adam?"

"Probably not."

"Really? But you handled that Scraggy like a pro."

"When Adam fought you, he was barely trying."

"So?"

"So I wouldn't be able to fight him at full strength. He could probably take on the league champion if he wanted."

"Huh.. You really think he could?"

"With how badly he kicked your ass, definitely."

"Not funny."

"Just the truth."

"Can we go now?"

"After you clean up."

"Why do I have to? You're the one who wrecked the place with a battle."

"I'm a girl."

"Fine. I'll clean up."

"Good boy."

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><p><strong>AN: Okay then, so it's been god knows how long since I wrote a chapter for this story. Hopefully it's not too craptastic. Review, review, review!**


	8. Ch 8: Enter Reid Sam's emotions explode

**Sam's Current Team: Pignite, Drilbur, Zorua and Bouffalant**

**Rachel's Current Team: Lilligant, Audino, Servine, Scraggy and Seismitoad**

**Chapter 8: Enter Reid. Sam's temper explodes!**

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><p>"Stupid Rachel.." Sam grumbled to himself, kicking a rock as he walked along some abandoned railroad tracks. Less than two days in Nacrene city and he had already gotten into a fight with Rachel. That had to be some kind of record. Or maybe it was just something wrong with him. It wasn't like every guy could make a girl this angry. Maybe he just had a talent for pissing them off.<p>

"Zorua!" The little black fox barked, rubbing its head on Sam's leg as it walked next to him. Ever since Zorua had joined up with Sam, it couldn't stay inside it's Pokeball. It got to be a bit of a hassle sometimes, but Sam couldn't be angry at it.

"Don't worry Zorua, everything will be fine." Sam said, leaning down and petting his pokemon's head. Zorua purred and leaned into his hand, licking his finger tips gently. It was a picture perfect moment. And that was when the man appeared over Sam's shoulder.

"I think that's my pokemon you're petting." The voice sent shivers down Sam's spine, his breath catching in his throat. Whoever this man was, he was evil. Sam could tell that much just from hearing him talk, just from having him stand behind him. It was like having the devil himself breathe down your neck.

"I'm sorry, but this Zorua is mine.." Sam forced himself to say, trying to keep his voice calm. He turned around slowly, locking eyes with the man. His hair was long and white, almost like snow. His eyes were a golden coloured, standing out against his sickly pale skin. However, his body was well built and strong. He was about eight inches taller than Sam, putting him well over six feet.

"That Zorua was supposed to belong to me, but Skylar failed me. Now, I'm here to take what is rightfully mine." Then it clicked. The man standing over Sam was Reid. The Reid that had taken Skylar's pokemon and made her do terrible things. The one who had made her cry. "Of course, when I learned that she had asked you for help, I had to punish her. It only took three days to get her to beg for mercy. To beg for death."

"You son of a bitch!" Sam snarled, throwing a hard punch at Reid. There was a flash of light before Sam felt his hand stopped by something. There was a long pale sleeve wrapped around his arm, leading to a pokemon that had a large mustache.

"Good job Mienshao. Now, now, Samuel. Don't you think you should behave?" Reid said, tapping Sams fist with his fingers. Sam growled as he tried to pull free of Mienshao's grip, but he couldn't budge, even an inch. Mienshao squeezed down on Sam's arm and he could feel his bones creaking. "Maybe I should break an arm or two. Teach you some respect. Or will you beg forgiveness?"

"Go screw yourself," Sam spat, Reid laughing a little bit. His laugh made Sam want to puke. He couldn't get over who this man was. The things that he had done. That he had made Skylar do.

"Mienshao, get rid of him," Reid ordered, his voice calm and cold. Sam felt himself rise into the air before the Martial Arts pokemon gave a might heave. Sam was thrown ten, twenty, thirty feet into the air. If he landed wrong, the best he could hope for was for a broken arm. His hands fumbled on his belt for a pokeball before pulling one off.

His Pignite materialized within seconds and caught him with one arm, the impact jarring them both. Zorua's eyes were wide with worry as he ran over to the two, barking its name loudly.

"Thanks Pignite.. I owe you one," Sam said, the Fire Pig pokemon placing him down on the ground. Sam turned back to Reid, eyes narrowed with rage. His entire body felt like it was ablaze, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never felt this way before about anybody. Not even Adam. No one had ever made him this angry. It was sickening.

"Don't tell me you have some delusions of grandeur," Reid groaned, taking his place next to his pokemon. Sam clenched his fists tight to his sides before looking over at Pignite. His pokemon snorted out a cloud of flames, stomping its feet on the ground like a sumo wrestler.

"They aren't delusions. I know I can kick your ass. Pignite, arm thrust!" Sam ordered, his pokemon sprinting over to Mienshao.

"Mienshao, detect!" Mienshao's eyes glinted for a second before blocking every hit Pignite threw. Its whip like arms slapped away Pignite's hands easily, Reid giving Sam a smug smile that made his stomach turn. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

"Destroy him with flare blitz!" Sam roared, Pignite jumping back about five feet before blue flames erupted across every inch of its body. Pignite snorted loudly before taking off at a sprint towards Mienshao, its feet kicking up huge clots of dirt.

"Aura sphere," Reid ordered, Mienshao creating a small orb of energy in its right hand before launching it at Pignite. The tiny sphere hit Pignite in the center of its face, it and the fire around Pignite exploding. Sam watched as his pokemon was thrown about twenty feet backwards, landing right on its feet. Sam couldn't help but feel proud. Pignite had gotten a lot stronger since its last big fight.

That attack would have dealt some major damage though. Aure sphere was already a powerful attack and the recoil from using flare blitz would only make it worse.

"Pignite, use ember!" Sam yelled, Pignite jumping high into the air before firing a rain of sparks from its nose. The sparks battered Mienshao over and over, but the long-sleeved pokemon brushed off the attack easily. Sam hated to admit it, but this pokemon was extremely well trained.

"Mienshao, I'm getting bored. Use force palm," Reid sighed, Mienshao smirking and shooting towards Pignite like a rocket. Its outstretched hand was covered with a bright green light, Pignite taking a step back to try to dodge it. The attack smashed into Pignite's stomach, launching the fire type pokemon into the sky. Mienshao jumped up after it, the green light being quickly replaced by a white one. Mienshao smacked Pignite back down to the ground, its large body making a crater in the ground.

"Pignite!" Sam sprinted over to his partner, flipping it over so its snout was in the air. Pignite was wheezing with every breath, trying to push itself back up off the ground.

"You've raised some pretty weak Pokemon, you know that?" Reid scolded, something inside of Sam's mind snapped. He could never win, all he did was lose. It was getting to be depressing. Everyone was depending on him, but he couldn't live up to what they wanted from him. It really made him hate himself. He clenched his hands tight, turning back around to face Reid.. And then Pignite exploded.

Flames covered Pignite's body, its eyes a blazing red colour. Sam winced slightly from the heat coming off of his pokemon, eyes wide. What was going on with Pignite? Was this.. Blaze?

Sam smirked when he saw the look of fear on Reid's face, Pignite stomping one foot down on the ground. Sam's Pokedex beeped, the boy looking it over. It was about time..

"Pignite, use flamethrower!" Pignite roared loudly before firing a huge tunnel of flame from its mouth, hitting Mienshao dead in the chest. The martial arts pokemon was thrown backwards into a tree, breaking clean through the trunk. It hit the ground with a heavy thump before laying limp, its eyes swirled.

"Yes! Pignite, we did it!" Sam cheered, the fla mes on Pignite's body disappearing.

"Pignite!" It cried, tackling Sam and hugging him tight. Sam squeezed down on Pignite, laughing loudly. He couldn't believe it. He had beaten Reid!

"Don't get too excited. Mienshao is my weakest Pokemon," Reid said, pulling something out of his pocket. It was a pokeball. "Take this. I have no use for a pokemon like this anyway. No one's paying for it."

"That's really all you think pokemon are?" Sam shot at him, catching the pokeball when it was thrown towards him.

"It doesn't matter what they are. Business is business. Skylar had to learn that the hard way.. Letting her emotions get in the way," And then one of the pokeballs on his waist burst open, showing off the huge ice dragon pokemon Kyurem. Sam backed up a couple of steps, Reid jumping up on Kyurem's back. The huge pokemon flew up into the air, the burst of winds knocking Sam of his feet.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you Samuel! I know that Skylar is waiting for you!" And then Reid was gone. Sam bit his lip tightly as he watched him fly off, gripping the pokeball in his hand.

How was he supposed to go up against a legendary pokemon?

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so I don't know how much people are liking this story.. Since no one's reviewing! D:**


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